The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus for reading documents, as well as to an image forming apparatus control method.
Image forming apparatuses for reading a document to generate image data are available. Such an image forming apparatus is enabled to execute a job based on image data acquired by reading process. In the case of a copy job, the image forming apparatus performs printing based on the image data acquired by the reading process. There is known an apparatus, as described below, capable of shortening working time for a job involving document reading process.
Specifically, there has been known an image forming apparatus which includes: a first-setting input part for performing first setting related to document reading conditions such as exposure density, area adaptation processing, resolution, and scale-up/down; a first-setting end key to be operated upon an end of the first setting; a second-setting input part for performing second setting such as number of copies, post-processing, page-number addition, destination of facsimile transmission, and destination of image data transmission, which are unrelated to document reading conditions; a start key; a first control means on which a document is to be set and which, upon operation of the first-setting end key, starts document reading based on the first setting to store reading contents into image memory while blocking copy start, facsimile transmission and image transfer; and a second control means which, upon operation of the start key, executes copy start, facsimile transmission and image transfer of image data read based on the second setting. The image forming apparatus is enabled to work for setting in relation to image formation and image transmission during the course of document reading.
Normally, when the start key is operated, the image forming apparatus starts document reading. The start key is operated at a time point when setting process related to a job has been completed and the job is going to be started. That is, document reading is executed after the entire setting related to a job has been completed by the user.
In the case of a job involving document reading, the document reading is started after the setting is done by the user. Upon completion of the document reading, printing or transmission is executed based on image data acquired by the reading. Therefore, as far as jobs involving document reading are concerned, there is a problem that required time from setting start until job completion may be elongated.
In contrast, with the above-described prior art, document reading is started at a time point when part of the setting process has been completed. Then, image data of a document is generated during the course in which the rest of the setting process is filled up. As a result, printing or transmission may be started immediately upon the operation of the start key. The required time from setting start until job completion may also be shortened. However, there arises a need for performing the setting process in two steps dividedly. After a first-stage setting has been done, a second-stage setting is performed. As a result, the setting operation is complicated, causing a fear that the user may be burdened to more extent. Also when it is desired to redo the first-stage setting after the document reading has been started, there is a fear that the setting operation may be complicated.